Overview
- The government presented a joint CDU/CSU–SPD plan for an initially voluntary service that offers about €2,600 gross per month, driver’s licence subsidies, and technical training.
- From 1 January 2026, 18-year-old men must complete an online aptitude and interest questionnaire, with women able to respond voluntarily, followed by medical screenings for potential recruits.
- The framework needs Bundestag approval and includes a last-resort option for partial conscription that would require a separate parliamentary vote rather than triggering automatically.
- Targets reported by outlets vary, with goals of roughly 260,000 to 280,000 active personnel by 2035, up from about 181,000–182,000 today, alongside a major expansion of the reserves.
- Defense Minister Boris Pistorius linked the plan to NATO commitments and the Russian threat, and the ministry will provide semiannual updates on active and reserve force levels.